Calgary construction industry booming during pandemic
Home improvement and construction projects are proving to be popular in Calgary during the pandemic.
The first eight months of 2021 have seen $4.2 billion worth of construction in Calgary, nearly double the $2.2 billion seen over the same period a year earlier.
The number of building permits is also up 29 per cent, year-over-year, according to data released Monday.
"In 2020, we experienced a permit value decline," said Brenda Desjardins, director of Calgary Building Services.
"However, during the pandemic, Calgarians have been investing in home improvement projects, such as installing hot tubs, garages, swimming pools, retaining walls and carports, and we are seeing the numbers recover to pre-pandemic levels."
Residential improvement permits are up 33 per cent over the last two years and planning applications have surged, rising 200 per cent for patios and 60 per cent for multi-residential rowhouses.
"In response to the pandemic, we have supported Calgary’s construction industry by waiving fees, launching virtual inspections, and transforming our intake process," said Desjardins.
"So far this year, we’ve processed 10,700 planning applications online and made improvements to our timeline commitments."
Some major projects are also coming to fruition, with occupancy permits now issued for Rhapsody, a multi-residential building in the university district with a construction value of more than $72 million.
Additional occupancies, with construction values exceeding $25 million, include:
- The 9th Avenue Parkade;
- Union Square Phase 2;
- City Scape Plaza;
- Silverado Seniors Village;
- Westman Village Journey Club (2 & 3);
- Redstone Tower;
- Sunridge Mall Renovation, and;
- ABG Skyview Building.
Some notable industrial applications include:
- BMO Centre Expansion application ($317 million);
- Two Park Central Apartments ($92 million), and;
- VIVO Indoor Recreation Facility Expansion ($42 million).
Officials say construction values and building permits aren't representative of the overall market and economic conditions but they provide a benchmark for the state of the construction industry.
The Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program also encourages private developers to undertake downtown office conversions, office replacements, and new residential developments.
The first phase application period closed Sept. 15 with 13 applications received.
Building permit application values are available by ward, and community, on the city's website, along with data on building permit values.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.